...It eliminates the requirement for a concealed-carry weapons permit ...

"I believe strongly in the individual rights and responsibilities of a free society, and as governor I have pledged a solemn and important oath to protect and defend the Constitution," Brewer (AZ Governor) said in a news release. "I believe this legislation not only protects the Second Amendment rights of Arizona citizens, but restores those rights as well."

... Arizona joins Vermont and Alaska in not requiring such permits.

"If you want to carry concealed, and you have no criminal history, you are a good guy, you can do it," bill sponsor Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, has said of his bill. "It's a freedom that poses no threat to the public."

Governor Brewer is a piece of work but Pearce is a skidmark on the underpants of society. He really has no redeeming qualities. Check out his Wikipedia page in the Personal Life section. It lists him as Mormon (big shocker considering his backward views on marriage, immigration, minorities, etc.) but additionally says, "He is also a douche". Too funny. Obviously, most of his followers are too stupid to check up on the accuracy of the data on his page. I would suggest that it IS accurate.

More from the article on concealed guns:

... Brewer last week did sign a separate law that exempts guns made and kept in Arizona from federal regulation, including background checks.

... For those who do choose to get a permit, the education requirements do change under the new law. Classes are no longer required to be a set number of hours or include any hands-on use of the weapon. Those who don't get a permit would not be required to get any training or education.

Retired Mesa police officer Dan Furbee runs a business teaching permit and other gun safety classes. He said if most people choose not to get a permit, it will put several hundred Arizona firearms instructors out of business.

"It's going to hurt," he said.

But he said what really concerns him is that the new law will allow people who have had no education about Arizona's laws and no training on the shooting range to carry a concealed gun. The eight-hour class currently required to get a permit includes information on state law and gun safety, as well as requires students to be able to hit a target 14 out of 20 times...

"I fully agree that we have a right to keep and bear arms," Furbee said. "But if you are not responsible enough to take a class and learn the laws, you are worse than part of the problem."

He said it's not uncommon for students to walk into his classroom and pull a new gun out of a box with no idea how to hold it and no understanding of the laws surrounding it.

"If you are going to carry a concealed weapon, you should have some kind of training and show that you are at least competent to know how the gun works and be able to hit a target," he said. "You owe the people around you a measure of responsibility."

Basically, anybody that buys an Arizona made gun can do so without a background check and can carry it concealed without any previous training or proof of competency. Unbelievable. Republicans here say they are for business but these laws are already scaring away tourists and being responded to negatively by businesses, expecially restaurants and bars.

And if I hear one more person try to tell me this is about freedom, I'm going to punch them in the ear. Freedom has a cost, and it is responsibility. These laws provide no burden of responsibility and endanger those who have no interest whatsoever in carrying guns. This is not anarchy. People have rights to do things (drive, vote, work, etc.) but with limits based on age, competency, safety, etc. The NRA would have no restrictions whatsoever except the judgement of "good guys", as Pearce puts it.

Republicans are not content with loosening gun laws. They are voting Monday on a law that "would require anyone whom police suspect of being in the country illegally to produce "an alien registration document," such as a green card" or be fined. I won't talk too much on this one since it hasn't officially been signed into law yet. But, there is every indication that the senate will pass it and Brewer will sign it. There is already big time racially profiling being done in our county by cowboy Joe Arpaio. This new law will basically give free rein to police to shake down any Latino they want. Scary days.

An already backwards state is becoming more so. There is so much to love about Arizona, but the vision of its leaders is not one of the things.

"People are bringing shotguns to UFO sightings in Fife, Alabama. I asked a guy, "Why do you bring a gun to a UFO sighting?" Guy said, "Way-ul, we didn' wanna be ab-duc-ted." If I lived in Fife, Alabama, I would be on my hands and knees every night praying for abduction." -- Bill Hicks

9 comments:

How dangerously pathetic. Here's how to quickly undo years of civilizing work, while hiding behind a smokescreen of "freedom." This is a freedom no one needs and civilized people reject--just like the "freedom" to murder and steal.

"Retired Mesa police officer Dan Furbee runs a business teaching permit and other gun safety classes. He said if most people choose not to get a permit, it will put several hundred Arizona firearms instructors out of business.

"It's going to hurt," he said.

But he said what really concerns him is that the new law will allow people who have had no education about Arizona's laws and no training on the shooting range to carry a concealed gun. The eight-hour class currently required to get a permit includes information on state law and gun safety, as well as requires students to be able to hit a target 14 out of 20 times..."

Uh-huh. Suuure. His business is going to get hurt, but what he's *really* concerned with is the public safety. The guy is already living off the State with a healthy pension no doubt, but they have to pull him in to get a comment about how no licensing is going to "hurt". Boo hoo.

But at any rate, what of Vermont, Alaska, and New Hampshire I believe. Are they over run centers of gun violence and ignorance that the pro-permit crowd would have us believe?

I mean Vermont? Really?

Seems to me, the places with the biggest problems with gun violence are those with the tightest restrictions. Not saying the tight restrictions are the CAUSE of the gun violence, because I really don't believe. But what I *AM* saying is that restrictions do exactly nothing to stop gun violence, and only prohibit law abiding citizens who want nothing more than to protect themselves from aggressors. And do so effectively when given the chance.

I would like to add that I'm sure that this Pearce fellow IS a douche, and you know there are only one or two people in this country whom I abhor as much as Sheriff Joe. So we can surely find agreement there.

CK - It's just a different world over here in the States ... and even more so in AZ. It's the wild, wild west. Yee-haw!

Wunelle - It's a matter of principle for some (Scott, for example), but for too many, it's really not. It's about finding a position that agrees with your desire to have guns and to exert power. They'll make a big deal about the 2nd amendment but conveniently ignore the rest.

Scott - I get where you are coming from and I respect your consistency, but this is a place where we are just going to have to agree to disagree. I don't believe that the 2nd amendment allows for unfettered and unregulated gun ownership ... you do.

And with you, I understand it really is about principle. Because, you are no more likely to carry a concealed gun than I am.

I agree with your comment about Furbee. I thought it was odd that it was even brought up that he would lose customers. If it was a matter of principle and safety for him, then that wouldn't even be relevant.

I'm disappointed that someone corrected Pearce's Wikipedia page. I should have gotten a screen shot of it.

A lot of business leaders are saying that the passage of the immigration law could generate a backlash similar to the MLK holiday contoversy in the early 90's where AZ lost 170 conventions, a Super Bowl and $300 million + in revenue: Arizona Immigration Bill Hurting Businesses